Microsoft is doing away with its stupid banana dollar Microsoft Points system, opting instead to utilise real world cash values. that change will happen at some point this year (likely to co-incide with the Xbox One launch). What happens then, to the dormant Microsoft Points you currently have attached to your Xbox Live account?
According to Microsoft, it’ll all be converted in to a real world monetary equivalent of “equal or greater” value. That’s the good news.
The bad news is you’ll have a year to spend that cash, before it expires. That, as far as I’m aware, is actually against many consumer policies – including our own Consumer Protection Act, and likely many similar ones within the European Union.
If you have some Points cards lying about that you’ve yet to redeem, Microsoft will still be accepting them until sometime in 2014 – so you may as well use them now.
There’s an entire FAQ about the retirement of MS points over at Microsoft.
Last Updated: June 13, 2013
DieJason
June 13, 2013 at 14:32
Why would anybody leave points for more than a year though? O_o
Happy Hamster
June 13, 2013 at 14:34
because there isnt anything worthy to purchase on XBOX Live SA hahahahahaha
DieJason
June 13, 2013 at 14:36
Hahaha 🙂
Luckily you can migrate to UK or US accounts now
DaxterZA
June 13, 2013 at 14:44
I would not recommend that….I migrated to a UK account, and yes there are a lot more features and games to purchase, but the big problem is that most “games on demand” cant be downloaded because it gives an error saying “This content is not available in your region”…..
I moved back to my SA account….
DieJason
June 13, 2013 at 14:47
I’ve always had an UK account, but now with “Games for Gold” I’ve been contemplating switching to ZA. I don’t buy that much on the marketplace anyways, and most new items are available locally anyways.
Rinceyouropinion
June 13, 2013 at 15:30
SNAP! Though you can now purchase Blood Dragon! Do IT!
Sir Rants-a-Lot Llew
June 13, 2013 at 14:47
Because they are waiting to use it (or it’s monetary value) on the XBoxOne which is now not coming to SA anytime soon
Pieter Kruger
June 13, 2013 at 14:57
I Totally agree! How will this happen? I want to buy a game for 1000MS points so I’m buying 20 000MS points? BUDGET! Buy a hat for your Avatar with what’s left over! If you’re still sitting with thousands of rands in your MS account and can’t spend that in a year you’re not capable of handling money and shouldn’t be allowed to!
Argentil
June 13, 2013 at 14:59
It’s the small amounts that will add up to something larger. They will either ask you to make a minimum purchase of R9 (steam and PSN do this), or ask you to buy incremental amounts with the change staying on the account. It seems SO unnecessary, I don’t know why they’d do it.
Argentil
June 13, 2013 at 15:11
The point is that someone who wouldn’t buy that avatar hat before, would end up doing so as not to waste the money.
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
June 13, 2013 at 14:48
They really are not thinking about other countries hey…jeez, I really never thought it would become this bad
John Ambitious
June 13, 2013 at 14:51
Don’t you know that America and Europe IS the whole world?
Umar Kiiroi Senk?
June 13, 2013 at 14:52
lol as funny as that is ….. it also the sad truth
ElimiNathan
June 13, 2013 at 14:49
Yay……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)
June 13, 2013 at 15:16
What?
Rinceyouropinion
June 13, 2013 at 15:36
I wonder if they have a new PR person that is going against the grain of every single convention out there that screams DON’T do this, and they are.
Daryl Eksteen
June 13, 2013 at 17:49
Is there any good news about the next gen for Xbox One?
Harvey P. Cheesewinkle
June 13, 2013 at 18:36
Yeah, there’s a gen after this coming one. So eventually there’ll be a new machine to hate to take the pressure off Xbox One.